I Prefer Paris

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, May 2021: Book Giveaway- Paris, City of Dreams

CORRECTION: Last Friday I posted that June 19 is when Americans will be able to visit France again, it's actually June 9. My apologies.

My friend gifted me this wonderful and fascinating book, Paris, City of Dreams: Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Creation of Paris, and I am passing it on to you. 

Acclaimed historian Mary McAuliffe vividly recaptures the Paris of Napoleon III, Claude Monet, and Victor Hugo as Georges Haussmann tore down and rebuilt Paris into the beautiful City of Light we know today.

Paris, City of Dreams traces the transformation of the City of Light during Napoleon III’s Second Empire into the beloved city of today. Together, Napoleon III and his right-hand man, Georges Haussmann, completely rebuilt Paris in less than two decades—a breathtaking achievement made possible not only by the emperor’s vision and Haussmann’s determination but by the regime’s unrelenting authoritarianism, augmented by the booming economy that Napoleon fostered.

Yet a number of Parisians refused to comply with the restrictions that censorship and entrenched institutional taste imposed. Mary McAuliffe follows the lives of artists such as Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, and Claude Monet, as well as writers such as Emile Zola, Gustave Flaubert, and the poet Charles Baudelaire, while from exile, Victor Hugo continued to fire literary broadsides at the emperor he detested.

McAuliffe brings to life a pivotal era encompassing not only the physical restructuring of Paris but also the innovative forms of banking and money-lending that financed industrialization as well as the city’s transformation. This in turn created new wealth and lavish excess, even while producing extreme poverty. More deeply, change was occurring in the way people looked at and understood the world around them, given the new ease of transportation and communication, the popularization of photography, and the emergence of what would soon be known as Impressionism in art and Naturalism and Realism in literature—artistic yearnings that would flower in the Belle Epoque.

Napoleon III, whose reign abruptly ended after he led France into a devastating war against Germany, has been forgotten. But the Paris that he created has endured, brought to vivid life through McAuliffe’s rich illustrations and evocative narrative.

The publisher of Paris, City of Dreams has generously agreed to give away a copy of to an Eye Prefer Paris reader in the continental USA.

Be the third person to make a comment about the book in my comments section and win your copy of the book.  Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment.

CLICK HERE to purchase Paris, City of Dreams: Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann, and the Creation of Paris

 In other book news, here’s an announcement for an upcoming book event. 

FRENCH ARTISTS IN FICTION: FOUR LIVES, FOUR AUTHORS

FREE ZOOM EVENT  MAY 8, 2021,  11 A.M. CENTRAL STANDARD TIME

WITH SERVING HOUSE AUTHOR 

LINDA LAPPIN,  LOVING MODIGLIANI: THE AFTERLIFE OF JEANNE HEBUTERNE

& Lilianne Milgrom, author of L’Origine

Drema Drudge, author of Victorine

Joe Byrd, author of  Monet & Oscar

ORGANIZED BY FRANCE BOOK TOURS

SIGN UP HERE:

https://francebooktours.com/2021/04/05/may-8-free-webinar-french-artists-in-fiction-four-lives-four-authors/

BOOKS AVAILABLE https://bookshop.org/lists/recommended-reads-french-art-in-fiction

INGRAMS, and Amazon. 

All four authors have generously agreed to give away an e-copy of their book, so the second, fourth, sixth, and eight person who makes a comment, will receive a copy of one of the books. 

Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment. 

Please join my friend Rosemary Flannery for her live Angels of Paris tour for France.fr, Wednesday, May 5, 10am EST (east coast time), 9am Midwest time, 7am, West coast time, and 4pm Paris time. CLICK HERE to sign-up. 

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, March 2021: Loving Modigliani : The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne

I am happy to announce Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne by Linda Lappin as my book selection this month. 

Amedeo Modigliani, embittered and unrecognized genius, dies of meningitis on a cold January day in Montparnasse in 1920. Jeanne Hébuterne, his young wife and muse, follows 48 hours later, falling backwards through a window. Now a ghost, Jeanne drifts about the studio she shared with Modigliani—for she was not only his favorite model, but also an artist whose works were later shut away from public view after her demise. Enraged, she watches as her belongings are removed from the studio and her identity as an artist seemingly effaced for posterity, carried off in a suitcase. Thus begins Loving Modigliani, retelling the story of Jeanne Hébuterne’s fate as a woman and an artist through three timelines and three precious objects stolen from the studio: a diary, a bangle, and a self-portrait of Jeanne depicted together with Modi and their daughter. A century later, Jeanne Hébuterne’s artwork will be rescued from oblivion.

Linda has been generous enough to offer two free E-book copies of Loving Modigliani and the first and third person that makes a comment, will receive their free copy. 

Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment. 

CLICK HERE to order your copy of Loving Modigliani : The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne

CLICK HERE to listen to an interview with the author Linda Lappin on about the book on World Radio Paris. 

Order Photos From My Etsy Shop 

I have updated my Etsy shop with 15 new photos in addition to my other classic photos from before. In addition, I can make a print of almost every photo you see on Eye Prefer Paris.

Below are sizes and prices.

10x13 inches $60

11x14 inches $80

16x20 inches $115

Click here to go to my Etsy shop. 

Photos are printed on Fuji crystal Archive metallic paper with rich satin gloss finish and is unframed.

Prints are printed in N.J. and sent by USPS. Delivery time is 2-5 days.

If you have any questions about the photos, please email me at [email protected]

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, February 2021: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

I am thrilled to finally have The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles as my February selection. The Paris Library was supposed to be published last year but was delayed because of Covid. Interestingly, the book was published in a number of other countries before the USA, and Janet would share on Facebook the rave reviews The Paris Library received in Italy, France, and Romania. 

​Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

Janet and her publisher have generously agreed to give away a copy of The Paris Library to an Eye Prefer Paris reader in the continental USA. 

Be the third person to make a comment about the book in my comments section and win your copy of the book.  Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment. 

CLICK HERE to order your copy of The Paris Library. 

Janet Skeslien Charles

Save The Date- February 17- Arsene Lupin Facebook Live Tour

Please join me for an Arsene Lupin Facebook Live Tour-February 17 @10am EST 

Click here to reserve your spot and I look forward to seeing you then. 

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month: The New Parisienne: The Women and Ideas Shaping Paris

I am happy to have The New Parisienne: The Women and Ideas Shaping Paris by Lindsey Tramuta as my selection for this month. The new book is a follow up to the best-selling The New Paris, which Lindsay wrote in 2017. 

The New Parisienne focuses on one of the city’s most prominent features, its women. Lifting the veil on the mythologized Parisian woman—white, lithe, ever fashionable—Lindsey Tramuta demystifies this oversimplified archetype and recasts the women of Paris as they truly are, in all their complexity. Featuring 50 activists, creators, educators, visionaries, and disruptors—like Leïla Slimani, Lauren Bastide, and Mayor Anne Hidalgo—the book reveals Paris as a blossoming cultural center of feminine power. Both the featured women and Tramuta herself offer up favorite destinations and women-owned businesses, including beloved shops, artistic venues, bistros, and more. The New Parisienne showcases “Parisianness” in all its multiplicity, highlighting those who are bucking tradition, making names for themselves, and transforming the city.

Click here or link below to order The New Parisienne: The Women and Ideas Shaping Paris

https://amzn.to/3cWFv2k

The publisher of The New Parisienne: The Women and Ideas Shaping Paris has generously agreed to giveaway a free copy of the book to someone in the continental U.S. Be the fourth person to make a comment about the book in my comments section and win your copy of the book.  Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment.

How did you like Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black from last month? 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month: Three Hours In Paris By Cara Black

I am thrilled to have Three Hours In Paris by Cara Black as the book selection for September. Cara is a marvelous and imaginative storyteller who has written a much beloved and popular series of crime novels based in Paris. Her heroine is Aimee LeDuc and Cara Black brilliantly follows Aimee to murder scenes in almost every arrondissement of Paris. Her books in the Aimee LeDuc series include Murder on the Left Bank, Murder in Pigalle, Murder in Palais Royale, and many more in the series. 

Three Hours In Paris is a departure for Cara, as it’s her first book that doesn’t feature Aimee LeDuc. Here’s a brief synopsis of the book. 

In June of 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis, Hitler spent a total of three hours in the City of Light—abruptly leaving, never to return. To this day, no one knows why. The New York Times bestselling author of the Aimée Leduc investigations reimagines history in this masterful, pulse-pounding spy thriller.

Kate Rees, a young American markswoman, has been recruited by British intelligence to drop into Paris with a dangerous assignment: assassinate the Führer. Wrecked by grief after a Luftwaffe bombing killed her husband and infant daughter, she is armed with a rifle, a vendetta, and a fierce resolve. But other than rushed and rudimentary instruction, she has no formal spy training. Thrust into the red-hot center of the war, a country girl from rural Oregon finds herself holding the fate of the world in her hands. When Kate misses her mark and the plan unravels, Kate is on the run for her life—all the time wrestling with the suspicion that the whole operation was a set-up.

Cara Black, doyenne of the Parisian crime novel, is at her best as she brings Occupation-era France to vivid life in this gripping story about one young woman with the temerity—and drive—to take on Hitler himself.

Cara has generously agreed to a giveaway of a copy of Three Hours in Paris for Eye Prefer Paris readers. Be the second person to make a comment about the book in my comments section and win your copy of the book.  Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says “You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment. 

To order a copy of Three Hours in Paris on Amazon, click here  or on link below. 

https://amzn.to/3hDGTZ8

I am happy to have the prolific author John Baxter as my guest on A Bite of Paris. John has written many books about Paris including The Most Beautiful Walk in World, We’ll Always Have Paris, and books about the neighborhoods of Paris. Montmartre, Saint Germain des Pres, and Montmartre. John has also written two books about food in France, The Perfect Meal and Eating Eternity. 

John and I had coffee outdoors at the pastry shop and café, Gerard Mulot, in Saint Germain des Pres. 

Please watch the video at this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPCLR-6ACg

For more about John and to purchase his books go to https://www.johnbaxterparis.com/

Please share this video and don’t forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel.

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, July 2020: Final Transgression by Harriet Welty Rochefort

I am happy to have the new book Final Transgression: One Woman’s Tragic Destiny in War-torn France by Harriet Welty Rochefort as my selection this month. Ever since I heard about the book a few months ago, I’ve been patiently waiting for it to arrive. 

Here’s a synopsis: 

Spring 1944: Betrayed by her collaborationist husband, Séverine Sevanot travels from Paris to her beloved hometown in southwest France. Séverine’s friends and family have urged her not to go: the region is a tinderbox where the French are fighting not only the Nazis, but their own countrymen who support the pro-German Vichy regime. Séverine ignores the advice. She always does exactly what she wants.
 
Summer 1994: To mark the 50th anniversary of D-Day, an American reporter interviews 85-year-old Caroline Aubry, Séverine’s sister. Caroline tells of fleeing the Germans by taking to the road in May 1940, then returning to a Paris that has been overrun by Germans flirting with young French girls, playing oom-pah band music in the parks, and imposing strict rationing on the city while keeping the best food and wine for themselves.  

What Caroline omits is a story she has never revealed, even to her son Félix. Now, though, unsettled by the interview and the memories it evokes, Caroline decides that it is time for Félix to learn the secrets of the past…  

I hope you are as excited to read Final Transgression as I am. I love the cover image too. 

Click here or below to order Final Transgression by Harriet Welty Rochefort

https://amzn.to/3if01NO

You can also order the book on French Amazon, if you live in France. 

https://www.amazon.fr/Final-Transgression-Womans-Destiny-War-torn/dp/2957244403/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=1ROQ7ED70PH3E&dchild=1&keywords=final+transgression+harriet+welty+rochefort&qid=1593596662&sprefix=Final+Transgression%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1

Thanks to everyone who entered the quiz contest, but for those you who didn't, you can still send your answers because only one person has gotten all the answers correctly, so there's still two opportunities to win the second and third prizes. 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month June 2020: Paris on Air by Oliver Gee

I met Oliver Gee in 2018, just when his popular podcast series, The Earful Tower was beginning to take off. Oliver has recently written a memoir, Paris on Air, about his Paris journey via Australia. 

Here’s a synopsis of the book. 

Join award-winning podcaster Oliver Gee on this laugh-out-loud journey through the streets of Paris.

He tells of how five years in France have taught him how to order cheese, make a Parisian person smile, and convince anyone you can fake French (even if, like Oliver, you speak the language like an Australian cow).

A fresh voice on the Paris scene, he shares the soaring highs and crushing lows that come with following your dreams to the French capital.

He also befriends the city's too-cool-for-school basketballers, chases runaway crocodiles, and goes on a mammoth honeymoon trip around France on his little red scooter.

Oliver has kindly agreed to give away an e-book or audio copy of Paris on Air. 

The third person who makes a comment on this post will receive an e-book or audio  copy of the book. Email subscribers, if you go to the bottom of this email, in small print it says“You are subscribed to email updates from I Prefer Paris”. Click on I Prefer Paris, and on the bottom of the post you will see COMMENT in small letters. Click on that to make a comment. 

Good luck! 

To purchase your copy of Paris on Air, click on link below. 

https://theearfultower.com/2020/04/22/paris-on-air-now-available-in-the-us/

 

I am writing for a new website, Travel Awaits, for the 50+ traveler. Here are links to recent article I've written for them. 

3 Must-Visit Food Shop Streets In Paris https://www.travelawaits.com/2547284/Must-Visit-Food-Shop-Streets-In-Paris/?pv=related_list

How To Spend A Day In The Quaint Village Of Barbizon, France

https://www.travelawaits.com/2546984/How-To-Spend-A-Day-In-Barbizon-France/?pv=related_list

9 Best Cafes To Experience In Paris https://www.travelawaits.com/2496529/Best-Cafes-To-Experience-In-Paris/?pv=related_list

5 Secret Paris Parks And Gardens Locals Love https://www.travelawaits.com/2495444/Secret-Paris-Parks-And-Gardens-Locals-Love/?pv=related_list

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, where I make and bake a Dark, Chocolate, Chestnut Cake.

Click here to watch the video.

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month: Parisian Lives Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and Me by Deirdre Bair

I am very excited about this month’s Book of the Month, a true Parisian story, Parisian Lives Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and Me: A Memoir, by Deirdre Bair. Bair wrote biographies of two of the most iconic French writers, Samuel Beckett and Simone de Beauvoir. She spent 15 years in Paris extensively interviewing them, demonstrating patience and sometimes fortitude, to learn their inner most truths and stories. The Beckett biography went on the win the prestigious National Book Award. In this book, Bair reveals her stories, notes and anecdotes about spending seven years each with Beckett and de Beauvoir, and how differently she had to approach them to get what she needed. Bittersweetly, author  Deirdre Blair recently died at age 84 on April 20, 2020.I read a good portion of the book over the weekend and it's terrific. 

How did you like last month’s book The Elegance of the Hedge Hog? I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Click here to order Parisian Lives Samuel Beckett, Simone de Beauvoir, and Me

 

Re-Launch of Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I realize I haven’t selected a new book for the Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month since last June. I decided now the perfect was time to re-launch the Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, since most people are at home during the lockdown, and have extra time to read. 

For April, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, translated from French into English, is the enchanting story about the relationship between a concierge at one of the best addresses in Paris in the 7^th arrondissement, and her relationship with a 12-year child living in the building. Although they come from opposite classes in society, they somehow become kindred spirits and form an unforgettable bond.  

Click here to order on Amazon 

https://amzn.to/3aLg8yC

Here’s a list of other books from Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month, in case you missed them. 

Click here to order Seven Ages of Paris on Amazon

Click here  to order a copy of The Lost Vintage on Amazon

Click here to buy Finding Fontainbleau on Amazon 

Click here or link below to order A Year in Paris by John Baxter on Amazon

Click here to purchase a copy of (Not Quite) Mastering the Art of French Living

Click here to purchase The Left Bank on Amazon

   

Click here to purchase Mad Enchantment on Amazon
 

 

 

 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month June 2019: Seven Ages of Paris

One of the most comprehensive books about the history of Paris, I’ve chosen Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne for the month of June. Seven Ages of Paris covers in great detail the seven most important periods and events in Parisian history. Commencing with the rise of King Philippe Auguste in the 1200s, it follows through with the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIV (who abandoned Paris for Versailles); Napoleon’s rise and fall; Baron Haussmann’s rebuilding of Paris (at the cost of much of the medieval city); the Belle Epoque and the Great War that brought it to an end; the Nazi Occupation, the Liberation, and the postwar period dominated by de Gaulle.

Please note I am now featuring the Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month every other month instead of monthly. 

Click here to order Seven Ages of Paris on Amazon 

August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29 

I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area. 

Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks. 

Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft  with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S.  The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator

Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested. 

If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.

Click here to watch or link below

https://youtu.be/Am22oSA_UYc

Please remember to hit the LIKE button if you like it and SUBSCRIBE button to subscribe to my channel. 

Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month April 2019: A Year in Paris by John Baxter

I am always happy when the prolific John Baxter has new book because it’s always a treat. Like going to Poilaine, knowing you will get the best bread, John consistently delivers a delightful book. 

A Year in Paris: Season by Season in the City of Light is the about the importance of the seasons of Paris, including the tastes, sights, traditions and subtleties. Baxter also explores in depth the renaming of the months of the year by and playwright Philippe-Francois-Nazaire Fabre after the French Revolution.

John and his publisher have been kind enough to offer a free copy of A Year in Paris. The first person to leave a comment in the comment section at www.ipreferparis.net will win a copy. Please note: the copy must be sent to a mailing address in the U.S. 

Good luck! 

Click here or link below to order A Year in Paris by John Baxter on Amazon

https://amzn.to/2HOM36s

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you, my insiders, Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com